Sheila Dikshit apologises for her remarks on Poorvanchal immigrants

A day after expressing helplessness in stopping people from migrating to Delhi, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Thursday went into full damage-control mode, saying the Capital is a home for people from every part of the country.

New Delhi, May 10 : A day after expressing helplessness in stopping people from migrating to Delhi, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Thursday went into full damage-control mode, saying the Capital is a home for people from every part of the country.

"I sincerely regret and extend my apology for this unfortunate happening," she told a press conference here which was called in the wake of the controversy surfaced out of her statement given yesterday.

Asserting that she had no intention of hurting the sentiments of anybody, ikshit also apologised for the pandemonium in the Parliament over her statement, which later led to the adjournment of the House for the day.

"Delhi is the national capital and is a home for people from every part of the country," she said, adding, "I am sorry to learn that the Lok Sabha was agitated over my alleged statement and the House could not discharge its functions".

She went on to say that her statement was distorted in a section of the media, as she was fully aware of the contribution made by people coming from other states, especially from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in the development of the Capital.

On Wednesday, while speaking at a function to lay the foundation stone for flyovers, Dikshit expressed helplessness in stopping people from migrating to Delhi, saying she has no legal aid to prevent them from coming to the Capital.

"What can we do? We have no law to prevent the inflow of people who come here to earn their bread and butter," she said.

"People from Bihar and UP come to Delhi for employment ...They become bureaucrats or politicians and get settled in the city, as it is one of best metropolitans of the country," Dikshit said.

The remarks caused a furore in the Lok Sabha today.

Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) members were joined by Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) members in their demand for Dikshit's resignation over the issue.

The SP members raised anti-Dikshit slogans, while the RJD members led by Devendra Prasad Yadav demanded her resignation.

BJP members led by Shahnawaz Hussain also protested.

Sheila Dikshit herself originally hails from Uttar Pradesh and her son Sandeep Dikhsit is now a Lok Sabha MP from East Delhi constituency.